Monday 28 July 2014

Stalins Of Sound - Monkeys Attack



I'm going away for a few days holiday so this will be the last update till weekend, it's another of the better tracks to be released this year and it's by San Diego's Stalins Of Sound. They released their debut, self titled, ep in 2010, followed it up a year later with a second ep (Pool Of Piranha) before returning this year with a debut album, on Slovenly Records, called Tank Tracks. Originally there was just vocalist/guitarist Hadi Fever and a drum machine but he was joined by bassist Dave Masur (aka Davie Deathmetal) before the line up was completed with the pounding keyboards of Jimmy The Worm. Comparisons to the likes of Devo and The Spits often crop up in the descriptions of the band's sound and as today's song, Monkeys Attack, shows, those comparisons aren't a million miles wide of the mark.....

Sunday 27 July 2014

Lumpy And The Dumpers - Gnats In The Pissa



For those of you who prefer your punk music a little heavier than yesterday's pop punk song, this could well be for you. Lumpy And The Dumpers hail from St Louis and have been releasing sloppy, fucked up records since their demo saw the light of day in 2012. Subsequent releases (a handful of singles; Bat, Sex Pit, Gnats In The Pissa) have been lapped up by both fans and critics alike. This song is their latest single, released on Total Punk Records, and it's an unhealthy mid paced stomp that finishes with a great sax solo, it's called Gnats In The Pissa.....

pull down your pants and take a piss
ya look down and ya feel the mist
black billows coming from the urinal
a cloud of gnats gonna swallow you whole

tell yourself you don't conform
too late, you're submerged in the storm
convince yourself you're not a clone
but they know who you are when you're alone

its raining little bastards
can't see your head in the thick
its raining little bastards
fuzzy shitheads crawling right outta your dick

Saturday 26 July 2014

The Putz - Operate



       It's 2014, 38 years since punk broke. What is punk? Is it a style of music? A state of mind? A slogan on a shirt? And is pop punk, punk??? I'm not sure what punk is anymore but pop punk has always featured heavily throughout it's history, right back to the likes of The Ramones, The Buzzcocks, The Dickies, The Rezillos etc etc etc..... There's loads of pop punk that I don't like, but who's to say I'm right and the pop punkers that get off their backsides to create the music that they love are wrong? There's also loads of pop punk that I love, going right back to the groups I mentioned earlier and hurtling through a history littered with a multitude of great bands (Lillingtons, Screeching Weasel, Queers, Descendants, FAR TOO MANY OTHERS TO MENTION!). I'm late to the party on The Putz but I'm adding the Indianapolis "pop punk rock" 3 piece to the list of pop punk bands that I like. They formed in 2009, released their first album (Hole In One) in 2010, spent years gigging with the likes of The Queers, The Parasites, The Dopamines (and probably a load of other pop punk bands who had "The" in front of their names). They won an award for best local punk band in 2012 and they released a couple of eps. It took the release of their new album, Knock It Off, on Eccentric Pop Records, for them to be picked up on my radar but I'm making up for lost time by keeping the record on repeat. I'm predicting that Billy Putz (bass, vocals), Tyler Wrong (guitar, vocals) and Dougie Tangent (drums) will be gaining more new fans than myself with this release.

In my intro above, I've written pop punk far too many times, but that was intentional. The song of the day is pop punk, pop punk at it's best. Catchy, fun but not too sickly sweet. It'll lodge in your head, it'll make you feel good, hopefully it'll make you want to track down the album. It's pop, it's punk, it's great. This is Operate.....

Friday 25 July 2014

District - Safety Pin Stuck In My Heart



The original version of today's song, by Patrick Fitzgerald, is an early punk classic and has been covered on several occasions by the likes of Chumbawamba and Tim Armstrong to name but a couple. The version I'm posting is from a split album by Bad News and District which was released in 1998. District, comprising Burn Harper, Joey Mosy, Marc Ader and Pascal Briggs, were together between 1995-2005 before joining forces with members of The Revolvers and changing their name to 2nd District. From Bochum, Germany, they released several singles and eps as well as the aforementioned split album with Bad News and an album of their own, 2004's Don't Mess With The Hard Punx and a compilation (My Dad's A Punk). Their sound was good old fashioned '77 style punk rock, here's their cover of Safety Pin Stuck In My Heart.....

Wednesday 23 July 2014

Top 10 Songs Chosen By Travis Wheeler































  Travis Wheeler is the guitarist/vocalist with San Diego 3 piece Stealth Jackson. Here he choses his 10 favourite songs of all time and if you like his list you can check out some of his band's songs here :  http://www.reverbnation.com/stealthjackson7

 1) Green Day - Coming Clean

 2) NOFX - The Decline

 3) Misfits - Saturday Night

 4) Thin Lizzy - Boys Are Back In Town

 5) Pink Floyd - Young Lust

 6) Dream Theater - Honor Thy Father

 7) Butch Walker - My Way

 8) Jimi Hendrix - Bold As Love

 9) Misfits - Hybrid Moments

10) Metallica - Creeping Death

Thanks for the picks Travis, here's your number 1.......

N.Y. Whores - Kiss Me



Featuring members of Spent Idols and Dead End Kids, N. Y. Whores (New York Whores) released a couple of singles in 1999. Aside from this, they managed a few gigs but that was about it. I could write more about them but you'd be better off checking out Angelo Ruggiero's excellent article here :  http://rawkunroll.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/pissed-off.html

Far better for me to just post the superb b side to their Play The Fool single, this is Kiss Me.......

Tuesday 22 July 2014

Frau - Punk Is My Boyfriend



New on Static Shock records, this song by London feminist 4-some Frau, starts deceptively pleasantly before quickly settling into a noisy mess of jerky stop/start post punk that burrows it's way into your brain. At less than a minute, it says what needs to be said then gets the fuck outta town. Featuring members of Good Throb (who've already featured in the pages of this blog) and Woolf (who haven't), the band's only previous release was an 8 track demo which was out last year. This 3 track single is limited to just 400 copies which come in hand stamped sleeves and will sell out pretty much immediately but don't worry if you miss out, you can get the download for "name your price" here : http://staticshockrecords.bandcamp.com/album/punk-is-my-boyfriend

Here's the lead track, Punk Is My Boyfriend.....


Monday 21 July 2014

Top 10 Songs Chosen By Chris Parker

Following on from yesterday's interview with Chris Parker (guitarist and songwriter with Chain Letters), today I'm posting Chris' list of his top 10 songs of all time.......

 1) Steve Harley And Cockney Rebel - Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)

 2) The Zeros - Beat Your Heart Out

 3) Talulah Gosh - My World's Ending

 4) Go-Go's - Lust To Love

 5) Icon A.D. - What's Your Name

 6) The Chicanes - Cry A Little

 7) M.O.T.O. - Magic Words

 8) Real Kids - Common At Noon

 9 ) The Avengers - We Are The One

10) The Donnas - Boy Like You

Hopefully Chris has picked a few tunes some of you haven't heard before and you'll be tempted to give them a listen, there'll be another top 10 list soon. From his list, today's song is Talulah Gosh - My World's Ending....



Sunday 20 July 2014

An Interview with Chris Parker (Chain Letters)



Back in March I featured Bad Reflection by a new band called Chain Letters. It's a great debut single and you should check it out if you missed it. There didn't seem to be much information about them online and so in an attempt to rectify this I asked guitarist Chris Parker if he would do an interview and he very kindly agreed. Thanks Chris.....


Hi Chris, From chatting to you I can tell you're a big music fan, especially when it comes to catchy punk influenced pop songs with female vocals. Who are your influences and have you always wanted to be in a band?

Main influences are the Zeros, Avengers, Go-Gos, Talulah Gosh, The Donnas and early Buzzcocks. I was always a total music obsessive since before my teens but I've never been in a band before…


You live in Cambridge (UK), the rest of the band seems to be either in Los Angeles or Toronto. How did you all hook up?

We are pretty spread out geographically… Johnny is in Toronto, Sophia is in LA, I'm in England and I'm not sure where Violet is right now! We really only ever planned to make a record, the idea was to make a killer single and that would be that, but now we really want to make another one and it would be great to play live someday. All I set out to do was to make a record just for the sake of making a record. Because from the moment I was given 7-inch singles as a kid, and a toy record player, they were magical things to me. They were halfway between toys and something adult and I got obsessed with music through them and that never left me. So, I wanted to make a record above all, but I had two major problems - I couldn't play an instrument or write songs. So I tried to forget all about it, but it just wouldn't go away. So I tried to learn drums - which was a really stupid idea because I'm not well co-ordinated. All the while I was making up songs in my head, just while driving or walking around. I'd had a bad experience with a cheap guitar years before, it was a finger-shredding beast of an instrument that put me right off playing music. But then I saw one in a music store window and I had to have it, and this time it just felt totally golden in my hands, especially when youtube taught me the three main barre chord shapes! Suddenly I felt like I could play anything and I quickly put chords to those songs that had only existed in my head, and made really rough, really bad demos. So now this was the point at which I had to reach out to other people and ask them if they wanted to get involved - and this was really hard. Just putting myself out there, saying I wanted to do this strange thing, felt very uncomfortable. It's funny - lots of bands had siblings in (Talulah Gosh, Redd Kross, Loli and the Chones etc) and I think it's because they get over that embarrassment factor more quickly - you start off with two like minded people who kind of affirm each other's craziness and then it all starts to come together. So the first person I was in touch with, who wanted to make a record too, was Johnny Bubblegum (ex-Tyranna) the bass player. And then I started to realise we could really do this, and when Sophia said she wanted to be the singer, that was amazing! But my guitar playing was still super-basic and to be honest I struggled to get a reasonable take of the songs on the 7-inch. We lucked out by finding Violet X who is an amazing and rock-solid drummer. That allowed me to get away with some sketchy guitar playing. I've always found it exciting when bands sound amateurish and rough around the edges (like the first Donnas LP) so I wasn't trying to be Jimmy Page, I just wanted to keep up with the drums. Hearing a rough version of the finished song was awesome, and holding the vinyl fresh from the pressing plant was amazing! But we had no idea whether anyone would want to review it, or distribute it, so it was a great surprise when everyone seemed to love it and we started sending it out all around the world. All I really wanted was not to have cartons full of them stacked up in my garage. It's really thrilling to me, the thought of these things going out there and maybe being listened to by someone many years from now. You just never know where it's going to end up, whose hands it's going to fall into. To have people enjoy it is incredible to me and a total bonus. We all want to make another 7-inch, though we never thought about that at the start. Lots of the best punk records came from bands that only ever made one 7-inch and there's something great about that…


Do you manage to get together much? You've never played live?

No, we have never played live, we were really only interested in recording, but we would definitely like to do some gigs in future, but I'd have to get a lot better at playing the guitar.


Chain Letters bassist is called Johnny Bubblegum. Do you ever curse him for picking such a cool name or wish you'd done likewise?

Yes, Johnny Bubblegum has one of the all time great punk names, I couldn't compete with it so I kept my real name.


So far, your only release is the single Bad Reflection / Boulevard Girls, every review I've seen is extremely favourable and it seems to have quickly sold out. How much of a relief was it that after so many years of being a music fan, your first single is so loved? Why the delay in following it up? I'm sure I'm not the only person gagging for more, when can we expect a follow up?

I've nearly finished writing the next A and B side songs but it's still a long way off because we are all busy with other things. Also I want to make the songs as good as I can. When the needle is two-thirds the way through the song, I want people to be itching to go back to the beginning to hear it all over again, like I am when I listen to "Beat Your Heart Out" by the Zeros or the Avengers' "We Are the One".


One of your favourite songs is Magic Words by M.O.T.O. in which Paul Caporino sings about dreaming those magic words "they come to me when I'm asleep." Where do your song ideas come from? Is it something you find comes easily or is writing a struggle (and do you constantly worry whether what you've written is any good)? You say you've nearly finished writing the new a and b sides, does this mean you set out to write a "hit" or do you just write and then decide over time which song will be the a side?

I usually start with a chorus or verse melody, or sometimes just a chord sequence I want to use. The words come a long time later, right at the end, once the tune and chords have been completely worked out. I'm really still finding my way on how to do all this, trying things and seeing what works. With the first record, I got to the point where I'd be restlessly listening to new records but nothing really did it for me - because what I really wanted to hear was the record that only existed in my head. That's what compelled me to make our first single. So I've written quite a few songs but only some have that thing where I just can't wait to hear them and they're going through my head pretty much all the time... I'm reaching that point now with two songs that will hopefully make up our next 7-inch.





The band's Facebook page lists the members as Sophia Dilley (vocals), Chris Parker (guitar), Johnny Bubblegum (bass), Violet X (drums), Michael Dent & Mary Jane Dean (sleeve art). How important to you is the artwork as part as the overall package when producing a record? There's been some great artwork throughout the history of this type of music, your sleeve reminds me a little of Girls At Our Best's Nowhere Fast which has been a long time favourite of mine, have you any favourites?

I'm really into record sleeve art so I took a long time to find the right image. Johnny Bubblegum found the image we used, it was taken by someone he knows, the photographer Mike Dent. When I was first buying records I was always drawn to the super-D.I.Y. xeroxed sleeves of the early 80s so those kinds of styles really sunk in with me…I really like how lettering printed on an inkjet printer gives a kind of fuzzy, imperfect edge. I took all the sleeve information and stuck it together with a glue stick, sticking on another layer if I made a mistake. I just had this obsession with creating a design with texture and a really handmade feel. I don't know what the printer must have been thinking when I walked in with this scrap of paper all crusty and stiff with dried glue.



The single was released on Pogo Time Records. I believe this is your own label, can you give me a little info on it?

Yes, Pogo Time is our label but we'd be interested in putting out records by other bands we really like. I also like the idea of collaborating with other bands as a writer. I'm writing all the Chain Letters stuff, but sometimes I come up with something that doesn't fit the band, something a bit faster and more bratty, and I'd like to start a side-band with like-minded people.


Some people are willing to spend weeks cooped up in a house being filmed 24 hours a day or will eat kangaroo anus' in order to advance their career. Would you go to such extremes in order to help promote the band?

re kangaroo balls etc - our only aim is to have a few people who really like what we're trying to do… that's way better than having a couple of thousand people who think you're kind of OK.


I've already featured Bad Reflection as song of the day so today it'll be the flip side, Boulevard Girls. Who are the Boulevard Girls and as you're from England shouldn't it be Main Road Girls or Dual Carriageway Girls???

I really like writing for Sophia as she always takes the basic song and adds inflections that I would never have thought of, that make the song ten times better… this is about someone who is getting away from the street where they have lived for a long time, to escape the memories of a bad relationship. But it also means losing all the friendships that have sustained them over the years… a little drama going on there.




Saturday 19 July 2014

The Barkers - On The Loft



Here's a band I know more or less absolutely nothing about, so if anyone from the band reads this (or anyone who knows more about them) please add some details in the comments section below. Hailing from Kovrov, Russia, they play old school pop punk, very much in the tradition of The Lillingtons (which earns them massive bonus points from me). They've recently released a 5 track ep called Girls & Aliens which you can pick up "name your price" here : http://thebarkers.bandcamp.com/releases . In the spirit of The Ramones, it appears they've all adopted the same surname (I suppose it's possible they are actually brothers though Barker doesn't sound overly Russian!), Ivan Barker (vocals, guitar), Andrew Barker (bass) and Il'ia Barker (drums). This song is called On The Loft........



Friday 18 July 2014

The Swell Maps - Helicopter Spies




 "Swell Maps was a big influence on our early records ... they had these songs they fucked up somehow to make sound really dirty and low frequency, but they had these great songs underneath all this mess"
Scott Kannberg (Pavement)

“The Swell Maps had a lot to do with my upbringing”
Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth)

A classic today from a band that have been around, in one form or another since 1972 (Brothers, 16 year old  Nikki Sudden and 12 year old Epic Soundtracks very much embraced the diy ethic, playing instruments like telephone books and boxes to create their own bedroom music). From Birmingham, Swell Maps only really got going properly after the punk explosion paved the way for bands like this to get the opportunity to get their ideas across. 1977 saw the release of the much loved debut single, Read About Seymour, they made 3 more singles plus 2 albums (A Trip To Marineville and Jane From Occupied Europe) before parting ways in 1980. Sonically more adventurous than most of their contemporaries, their legacy lives on through the many bands who they influenced. From their 2nd album, this is Helicopter Spies.....

There aren't that many trees in Arabia
Think how many you've seen.
I'd rather buy a moat than another lawn
Back with the guns again.

Helicopter spies always break new ground
Deep hidden in sacks of grain
They never have time to dig up the beds
Back with the guns again.

Helicopter spies-they make me cry.
Helicopter spies-they make me cry.

You're always cutting through the undergrowth
There's a passage inside the trees
If you find your way through the tailor's shop
You'll probably be asleep.

I'd rather take a day off and find you alive
Than to push through the coral alone
You think you'll find the lagoon again,
But they often sink away.

Helicopter spies-they make me cry.
Helicopter spies-they make me cry.

Helicopter spies always rush around
Their jackets often fall off
They never have time to put them back on again
They're always tough enough.

Helicopter spies-they make me cry.
Helicopter spies-they make me cry.
Helicopter spies-they make me cry.



Thursday 17 July 2014

The Simpletones - I Have A Date





Ah, young love, ain't it great. Today's song was covered by The Vandals but was originally by The Simpletones, a band from Rosemead, California, who formed in 1978 and disbanded barely 2 years later after releasing a classic single, California/I Like Drugs. There was also an album released in 1979 on Posh Boy Records called Beach Blvd which featured 9 Simpletones songs as well as 5 by Rik L Rik and 4 by The Crowd. A compilation album collecting together all their stuff and entitled I Have A Date was released in 2002, hunt it down if you want to hear some classic early pop punk. This is the title track and it's one of the best of its type.....

I saw a girl and she drove me wild
She looked at me and I looked and smiled
The cutest girl you could ever see
I never dreamed she'd go out with me

We met at school so I asked her out
The only girl I ever thought about
Shes 16 and she's so divine
I never thought I would make her mine

I'm in love, I just cant wait, tonight, I have a date
(I have a date) with the cutest girl in town
(I have a date) and I'm the happiest boy around
I'm in love, I just cant wait, tonight, I have a date

Went to the movies in my parents car
I never dreamed I would get that far
I picked her up at a quarter to 8
I got there early didn't wanna be late

I never thought it would come to this
I drove her home and she gave me a kiss
I'm in love and it's here to stay
She says she really wants to see me again

I'm in love, I just cant wait, tonight I have a date
(I have a date) with the cutest girl in town
(I have a date) and I'm the happiest boy around
I'm in love, I just cant wait, tonight I have a date

I have a date(x4)

I'm in love, I just cant wait, tonight, I have a date
I have a date


Wednesday 16 July 2014

Not The Ones - In A Box



This blog loves catchy as fuck, tuneful punk music and today's update ticks those boxes. Hailing from Berlin and Potsdam, German power pop/punk 3some Not The Ones play "simple songs with melody." Featuring former members of Looking For A Kiss and Traffic Light Gang, they formed in 2010. They released a 7 track demo in 2011 but have only recently released their first proper single, on Wanda Records. They've already shared a stage with the likes of 999, The Casualties, Cyanide Pills, and The Gaggers (to name a few), they say their music could be compared to a mixture between TV Personalities and The Boys. Personally, I'd say the distinctive vocals of Kid see them deserving addition to the long list of quality female fronted bands that have graced the punk scene over the last 40 or so years. From the new single and hopefully just the first of many great releases, this is In A Box......

Tuesday 15 July 2014

Top 10 Songs Chosen By Brian Mosher

Catching up a little now on the top 10 of all time lists that I was sent, today's selection is by Foxborough, Massachusetts resident Brian Mosher who produces the eclectic blog Phlubbermatic ( http://phlubbermatic.blogspot.co.uk/ ). Describing himself as a solitary man, an island of mediocrity in a sea of banality and declaring that nothing excites him as much as a band playing sloppy three-chord rock'n'roll with a catchy melody, it's probably fitting for someone who's blog features such a degree of diversity that his top 10 isn't limited to one style of music.....

 1) The Flashcubes - It's You Tonight
 2) Nick Cave - The Ship Song
 3) The Reducers (with Mark Mulcahy) - My Problem
 4) The Remains - Heart
 5) Richard Thompson - Saving The Good Stuff For You
 6) The Cadillacs - Zoom
 7) The Clovers - Good Lovin'
 8) The Briefs - Stuck On You
 9) Triple Thick - Sweet On That Girl
10) Bobby Bare, Jr - Your Adorable Beast

Thanks for the chart Brian, I think it's safe to say that you're a bit of an old romantic at heart, here's your number 1 choice.......



Monday 14 July 2014

Newtown Neurotics - When The Oil Runs Out



"Are you prepared for such a drastic change in lifestyle
 you say "yeah", I don't believe you, look at your home
 the things that you own, the job that you work in
 they could all go...."

Here's a song that's even more relevant today than it was upon it's release on No Wonder Records back in 1980. Harlow band The Newtown Neurotics (who later changed their name to The Neurotics) had formed the previous year, influenced strongly by The Clash and The Ramones. Frontman Steve Drewett's strong socialist political views shone through in the band's lyrics, especially after the election of Maggie Thatcher as British Prime Minister. Despite splitting up in 1988 they've been playing gigs again since 2006 and this song, When The Oil Runs Out, was recently re released.....



Think about the fat men who wear their slippers to drive their cars
while their machines are running, they wont walk very far
they never realise what they've got,one day they will lose the lot
because....

Chorus:What's gonna happen when the buses don't run
and what's gonna happen when the winter comes
what are you gonna do,
what are you gonna do
when the oil runs out?

Think about the record industry and the people its used
self indulgent pampered popstars which ones did you choose
I'll be far more drastic than no-more 12 inch plastic because....

CHORUS:

Are you prepared for such a drastic change of life style
you say "yeah" I don't believe you, look at your home
the things that you own, the job that you work in 
they all could go
what about the tax exiles who live in the sun
when the oil runs out, they'll have no-where to run
And what about the comfortable people who just cant go without
they're forever panic buying, in case things run out
they never realise what they've got, one day they will lose the lot because....

Chorus:
What's gonna happen when cycling becomes a strain
and you need a drop of 3 in 1 on your bicycle chain
what are you gonna do,
what are you gonna do
when the oil runs out.

Are you prepared for such a drastic change in life style
you say "yeah" I don't believe you,look at your home
the things that you own, the job that you work in
they all could go.




Sunday 13 July 2014

The Johnnies - Barbie's A Bitch



Boston pop punkers The Johnnies  formed in 1991 and were originally called The Lobby Magnets, they changed their name to Johnny Bravo before receiving a 12,000 dollar sum to give up that name by representatives of Cars frontman, Ric Ocasek. The money came in very handy, it went towards funding the recording and release in 1999 of their classic 12 Steps To Nowhere album. Great reviews looked like catapulting the band to the next level but an over indulgence in those rock n roll staples drink and drugs pretty much saw things fall apart. From their album and featuring some awesome backing vocals, this is Barbie's A Bitch.....

Saturday 12 July 2014

Ramones - I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend



R.I.P. Tommy Ramone. The last of the gang to die.

Born in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan 29 1949 to Jewish parents, Erdelyi Tamas moved to Forest Hills (New York) at a young age and became known as Thomas Erdelyi. Originally the manager of newly formed band The Ramones he soon took over drumming duties, replacing Joey Ramone who became lead singer. With the new name Tommy Ramone he produced the bands' first 3 classic albums as well as the live It's Alive. Replaced as drummer in 1978 by Marky Ramone, he reverted back to managing the band as well as co-producing album number 4 (Road To Ruin) and then later producing return to form disc Too Tough To Die. Aged 65, he passed away on July 11, 2014 after a battle with bile duct cancer. Responsible for the sound of the best Ramones albums, he was extremely influential in the early days of the burgeoning punk movement and will be missed. There's a great interview with him here ( http://www.markprindle.com/erdelyi-i.htm ). Featuring on The Ramones debut album and released as a single in 1976, this is a song that Tommy wrote called I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend......

Friday 11 July 2014

The Rivals - Here Comes The Night



Name a cover version from the early days of punk rock. I Fought The Law? Banana Splits? She's Not There? My Way? There's loads of great ones that are still loved today but I'm guessing not too many people's answer was Here Comes The Night.... Shame really. Hailing from Ramsgate, in Kent, The Rivals caused a bit of a stir in 1980 with their cover of a song that was written by Bert Berns and was originally released in 1964 by Lulu and then rerecorded a year later by Them (who saw it reach number 2 in the UK charts). The Rivals had heard yet another version of it (on David Bowie's Pin Ups album) and decided to punk things up a bit. Not surprisingly John Peel was a fan but it also received daytime radio play from the likes of Paul Burnett and Mike Read. It looked as though it was going to become a smash hit but only a few thousand copies were ever pressed (a major label deal was mooted but fell through). The band split up shortly after this though a compilation album called If Only appeared in 2007. Maybe next time someone asks what your favourite cover is you'll at least spare a thought for Here Comes The Night......

Wednesday 9 July 2014

Comrades - Cats Not Cops



   Wow. Actually, make that WOW!!! I was sitting at my pc yesterday, minding my own business, and a message popped up "we play punk rock from nyc, let me know what you think, thanks." I always worry when this happens, what if i don't like them? How does someone with no musical talent whatsoever tell someone who's put their heart and soul into making a record that he isn't keen? Fortunately, within a few seconds of Comrades' We Got This!!! album, all concerns were blown away by the awesome hardcore blitzkrieg on offer. I probably don't post as much of this type of music as I should but that's because my tastes are a little (only a little) more sedate. I like a tune with my punk, something a little poppy, even if it's pretty much drowned out by a furious and frenetic wall of noise. Branding themselves a crusty/folky/anarcho/punk tribe, Comrades don't hold back, they plough through their songs, pedal firmly floored, they're super pissed off, they throw the kitchen sink in, take it out and then throw the fucker back in twice as hard. But best of all, at least to a tune loving guy like myself, they're catchy as hell. Listen close, they write great songs. hell, just get the album, it's free here : http://comradescollective.bandcamp.com/ If you like them and you live in Brooklyn, they'll probably even come and play at your house. This is Cats Not Cops, it's bloody great.....

living at this squat 
is kinda like a zoo 
theres fur balls and riots 
if yer in with future glue 
might be allergic 
but all them are oh so cute 
gatos not violence 
cat pockets not boys in blue 

yell with us if ya really mean it 
cats not cops 
throw bricks with us if ya fucking scream it 
cats not cops 
in 2d it all that were dreamin 
cats not cops 
carved in every officer slowy bleeding 
cats not cops 

before the humans 
had crow bars to open it 
claws of defiance purred 
this city, we'll take it 
kittens with sharpe claws 
they fucking crawled their way in 
meow meow meow - meow meow meow ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
the walls is where we live 

yell with us if ya really mean it 
cats not cops 
throw bricks with us if ya fucking scream it 
cats not cops 
in 2d it all that were dreamin 
cats not cops 
carved in every officer slowy bleeding 
cats not cops 

We've been swimming in illusions of a different sort of peace 
that's been perched upon our fingertips but still way out of reach
and we're waiting for the clouds to pass to feast upon the sun 
but my mouth is filled with dirt oh god and now i bought a gun 
of wits end met, we aint done yet you'll all die one by one 
fucking zombies for your state of mind you piggies better run!!

The Exhausts - Andalucia



  Having earmarked a ridiculously large number of great songs for future inclusion in the blog it's not always easy to decide which one to post next. Should I go with the obscure late 1970's Swiss punk tune, or maybe the Welsh indie-punks that have covered The Clash, I was even tempted to go with the one about cunnilingus! In the end i decided to run with the new single from The Exhausts, a London 3 piece who've been around since January 2013, this despite them naming their debut ep Eric Cantona (boo! hiss!........that's me booing and hissing, not them). Anyway, back up to date, their single, Andalucia, is a cracking tune and it's available name your price here : ( http://everythingsucksmusic.bandcamp.com/album/andalucia-single ), it's definitely worth your attention, an album is in the pipeline. Also, plus points to the singer for wearing a Social Circkle t shirt in this video.......



Tuesday 8 July 2014

Top 10 Songs Chosen By Josh Rutledge

I'm slipping in another top 10 list today, this one by a music lover with impeccable taste who enthusiastically helps spread the word on some great bands via his excellent blog Faster And Louder
( fasterandlouderblog.blogspot.co.uk ). Josh Rutledge (aka Lord Rutledge) was once head honcho at Now Wave Magazine, nowadays he just concentrates on espousing the virtues of the stuff he likes on his blog, usually it's a healthy diet of  garage, power pop or '77 style punk (pretty similar territory to this blog but with vastly superior writing). Received with thanks, this is Josh's top 10 songs of all time.....

 1) The Clash - Guns Of Brixton
 2) Real Kids - All Kindsa Girls
 3) Dictators - Stay With Me
 4) The Joneses - Pill Box
 5) Replacements - Bastards Of Young
 6) Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen
 7) The Vapors - News At Ten
 8) Generation X - Wild Youth
 9) The Muffs - From Your Girl
10) Exploding Hearts - Sleeping Aides And Razor Blades

From the list, the song of the day is by a band who were formed in Southern California in 1981. Influenced by Johnny Thunders And The Heartbreakers (as many great bands are), The Joneses were true rock 'n' rollers. Released on the 1982 BYO compilation, Someone Got Their Head Kicked In, this is Pill Box....



Monday 7 July 2014

Priests - Doctor



Ever been prodded and probed by someone you don't know? Katie Alice Greer, vocalist with Washington D.C. alt/punk band Priests addresses this issue and in doing so makes a visit to the doctor's seem really rather daunting. They've been around since 2011 and have released a single and a couple of tapes ( have a listen on bandcamp : priests.bandcamp.com ) and last month saw their 7 track ep, Bodies And Control And Money And Power, hit the street to rave reviews. Angry political punk rock/passionate female singer = bikini kill comparisons aplenty, if you want a dose of intelligent pissed off punk and you haven't yet heard them, what are you waiting for. This is Doctor......




Sunday 6 July 2014

F.Y.P. - Belittle My Brain



  Some days just a dumb, fun, pop punk song will do. F.Y.P. (stands for Five Year Plan) had a run between 1989 and 1999 where they released a slew of diy albums, eps and singles (mostly on Recess Records). After the release of their final, and most polished album, Toys That Kill, Todd Congelliere and Sean Cole moved on to form another band, Toys That Kill. From their farewell release, this is Belittle My Brain (has anyone noticed how many classic pop punk tunes there are that refer to brains!). Fans of The Misfits might want to hang around till the end.....

she only comes just to belittle my brain
she comes with her ex-boyfriend
who looks more like Mike Ness than me

she only comes just to belittle my brain
she talks to other people loud
just so i can hear how loud she is

she comes just to belittle my brain
she only comes just to belittle my brain

she only comes just to belittle my brain
she comes with my ex girlfriend
who out of nowhere now is her best friend

she only comes just to belittle my brain
she talks to me like i'm four years old
even though i paid her way for years

she comes just to belittle my brain
she only comes just to belittle my brain

she comes just to belittle my brain
(brains for breakfast, brains for lunch)
she only comes just to belittle my brain
(brains for dinner, brains for brunch)

Saturday 5 July 2014

The Seize - Why?



One of the best things about doing this blog is stumbling over brilliant records that, even though I've been a fan of punk music since the late 70's, have until now passed me by. Hopefully visitors here will now stumble over them too. One such record is this double a side from 1980 (Why? / Grovelands Road) by Reading's The Seize. Featuring Colin Newton (vocals/bass), Julian Stafford (lead guitar), Andy Stafford (rhythm guitar) and Dave "Chewy" Newton (drums), they went on to release a couple more eps, Everybody Dies and Dancing Like A Dervish, as well as a mini album, Cross Channel Buffoon. Often compared to Stiff Little Fingers, though to my ears this sounds musically more like a warped version of Public Image (with added Banana Splits solo), this is their debut single, Why?......

Friday 4 July 2014

Top 10 songs chosen by Jessica O'Brien

Here's another of the top 10 lists that I've gathered together. Resident of Boulder, Colorado, Jessica O'Brien hosts an excellent punk rock show on greenlightradio.com (97.1FM KGLR, 95.3FM KNED, and 90.5 FM WAY HIGH RADIO). She also writes album reviews for For The Love Of Punk and is a journalist at Listen Up Denver. Narrowing down her all time favourite songs to just 10 can't have been easy but I'm grateful to her for giving it a go......

 1) NOFX - The Decline ( "I could have put any of their songs but I do have a tattoo of The Decline...")

 2) Bouncing Souls - Gasoline

 3) Propagandhi - Nation States

 4) Lagwagon - Making Friends

 5) Tim Barry - Avoiding Catatonic Surrender

 6) Teenage Bottlerocket - Mutilate Me

 7) Off With Their Heads - Nightlife

 8) Alkaline Trio - This Addiction

 9) Guttermouth - 1,2,3 Slam

10) No Use For A Name - Let Me Down

As I've already featured a NOFX song a while ago as the song of the day, I'm picking Jessica's number 3 choice. This is Propagandhi - Nation States....

Thursday 3 July 2014

Black Panties - Caught Posing



  My checklist for today was 1) wake up 2) get up 3) pee 4) wash 5) publish another of the top 10 lists that people have kindly compiled for me. Items 1-4 went as planned but before I could carry out number 5 I was ambushed by a great song that lodged in my brain and demanded that I post it here and bang on about how great it is. Sorry top 10 pickers, you'll have to wait a while longer to see your list in print....
Black Panties are new to me but from what I've read are the alter ego of St. Louis resident Luc Michalski. Seemingly he has a downer on people, or maybe it's just certain people, as you might notice from listening to today's song. Luckily enough for us, that dislike (real or otherwise), has fuelled his ability to knock out quality lo fi garage punk n roll mini masterpieces. Check out this tune, and maybe decide if it's aimed in your direction, this is from the latest ep ( http://blackpanties.bandcamp.com/album/do-not-listen-to-this-unless-youre-from-the-future ) and it's called Caught Posing........

Wednesday 2 July 2014

Pears - Judy Is A Punk































 A Ramones cover today, and a damn good one at that. Mixing punk and hardcore together, New Orleans 4some Pears have just self released their debut album, Go To Prison. Earlier this year they put out a demo ep called In Diapers, you can pick that up (name your price) here : http://pearstheband.bandcamp.com/album/in-diapers-the-2014-demos
With the new album blasting through 10 tracks in a trim 21 minutes, these guys don't fuck about. The reviews are coming in and indicate a healthy future ( check out this 5* endorsement : http://www.fortheloveofpunk.com/review-pears-go-prison/ ).
Get in early, this is Judy Is A Punk......



Tuesday 1 July 2014

The Snazzy Boys - They Came from Outer space !!!



Trawling the net for far too many hours seeking out punk songs to add to the blog I come across a hell of a lot of music. Much of it, I'm not keen on so it just gets a quick listen (possibly too quick, leading to me to dismiss it too hastily) but on occasion I find nuggets of gold (quite possibly nuggets that have been mined by many others already but are new to me). I've got to be honest, if I see what looks like upbeat pop punk with a sci-fi theme, I'll probably give it a slightly more generous crack of the whip. It's a rich genre, going back as far as The Rezillos and Spizz Energi (probably further than that) and including a lot of my favourite bands (hello Lillingtons, Dan Vapid etc). Today's song is from Italy's The Snazzy Boys. Formed in 2005 in Ospitaletto, they don't seem to be around anymore, splitting in 2010 (though I would love to be wrong about this), they were influenced by all the right groups, The Damned, The Boys, The Lurkers, The Spits, The Briefs etc, and play a '77 style of upbeat pop punk that has just the right combination of killer tunes and bite. Their releases include a couple of 7"'s, Organized Octopus (2006) and the Play Your Bollocks ep (2007) as well as a self titled album (2009). If you like quality retro pop punk, treat your ears, this is They Came From Outer Space.....